Method for closing containers



J. M. HOTHERSA L\...v

, METHOD .FOR CLOSING CONTAINERS April 5. 1927.

Filed April 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Z ATTORNEY J. MMHOTHERSALL METHOD FOR CLOSING CONTAINERS April. 5, 1927. 1,623,245

Filed April 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Patented Apr. 5, 1927'.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN M. KoTHEasALL, or

rant-or NEW METHOD FOR CLOSING- CONTAINERS.

a lication filed April is, 1925. Serial No. 24,045.-

My invention has for its object the provision of an. improved process for closing containers and, while it relates particularly to the closing of that type of container pro-.

vided with a rolled flange or false wire edge,

it is not to be considered as limited to the particular construction shown and described. An important object of the invention is the provision of a process for applying sealing rings of the rolled edge, inverted type disclosed in-my application Serial No. 24,046, filed April 18, 1925.

A characteristic of the present process is its simplicit both as to the apparatus required and t e mechanical operations involved, and fact that it does not bend or in any way mutilate the can body or the cover, both of which may be completely formed prior to the closing of the container and remain in the same form after it is open.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a process for closing containers by means of a sealing ring, which though attached in such manner as to firmly hold the cover in place, is adapted to be readily removed to open the container.

A further object is the provision of a process for the purpose stated, in which the sealing ring is attached without exposing any raw edges and by merely artially unrolling the outer curl and bending the outer part of the ring inwardly, the original shape thereof being otherwise maintained and the closed container presenting a neat appearance and smooth surface throughout.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following description, which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 illustrates a. container and associated cover member and sealing ring, to-

gether with a die member for applying the latter, the parts being shown in separated relationship and being broken away and seetionalized for clearer illustration:

-Fig. 2 is an enlarged view. partially in section and partially in elevation, showing the parts assembled and the die in its initial position; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are stillfurther enlarged detail sectional views, showing the relait is further characterized by the tion' of the parts at successive stages of operation of the die.

Upon sa-1d drawings, I have shown, for lllustrative purposes'only, a container 11 formed with the usual side seam 12 and having a bottom end 13 applied thereto, the upper end of the body being rolled outwardly to provide a false wire edge, indicated by the reference character 14. The can is U adapted to be closed by means of a cover 15 and sealing ring 16, which latter is of inverted U shape and provided with curled edges 17 and'18 and adapted to be formed, 1f desired, in accordance with the invention of my prior application. Serial No. 23,476, filed April 16, 1925. The cover 15 is provided with a curved flange 19 at the extremity of a vertical wall 21, the latter adapted to fit within the wall of the can body. said flange 19 being returned upon itself, as indicated at 22, and adapted to be compressed upon the top of the fase wire 14 when the sealing ring is applied, in manner which will now be described.

It will be observed that the outer curled edge 18 on the sealing ring 16 extendslaterally from the false wire edge 14 of the container and it is preferably curled to a greater extent than the curled edge 17 at theopposite side. the extremity 23 of said edge being rolled within the outer curl, as shown in Fig. 2. The ring is s lit, as indicated at 24, and the edges t ereof are spaced apart a short distance to facilitate the attachment and removal of the ring. As the outer edge is contracted to'cause it to engage beneath the part 14 on the can body, the ring may have a slight. endwise movement, which is made possible by separat-ing the ends thereof as shown.

-For the purpose of applying the sealing ring 16, I employ die elements. comprising an oiiter cup-shaped member 25 and an inner head 26 carried upon a rod 27 and relatively movable with respect to said member 25 against the tension of a spring 28. surrounding said roll and disposed within a cylindrical upward extension 29 of said member 25. The lower interior of the die member 25 is flared outwardly, as indicated at 31, and is adapted to act upon the outer curl 18 of the sealing ring to progressively bend the latter from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 4. Upon coming in contact with said curled edge, the

positioning upon outwardly beveled surface'tll of the die forces said edge, downwardly, partially unrolling the curl, the initial action being shown in Fig. 3 and the final position ot' the parts being illustrated in Fig. 4, from which it will be seen that said outer curl 18 ot the sealing ring is disposed beneath thefalse wire 14 and inwardly from a vertical line defined by a straight wall portion 32 of the die member 25 above the beveled portion 31 thereof; The head 26, during this operation, maintains a yielding pressure upon the top of the sealing ring, being cut out, as indicated at 33 and 34, to conform to the 'shape of said ringand to receive the inner curled edge 17 thereof. The bottom of said head is of substantially the shape of the can cover andtadapted to over; lie the same, holding the parts in fixed relationships during the operation of thedie.

When said ring is in the position shown in F ig., 4, it holds the cover 15 tightly in place, a gasket or sealing medium being provided at 35, if desired. When it is desired to open the container, however, the inner'edge 17 of the ring near the division 24 may be lifted by any suitable instrument, or tool, after which the entire length can be pulled off by hand; Said ring, as applied in accordance with my invention, is, therefore, adapted not only to provide an effective seal, preventing accidental opening of the container, or leakage of the contents, but is adapted to be easily and conveniently removed when occasion requires.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. The process of closing containers. which consists in providing a container body having a horizontally extending rolled upper edge, positioning upon said body a-cover having a flange adapted to overlie said rolled edge and a vertical wall part arrangeable within said body, providing a sealing ring of substantially the shape of an inverted U and having a rolled edge, arranging said ring over said body edge and cover flange, and pressing the rolled edge thereof downwardly to cause it to engage beneath the rolled upper edge of the can body.

2. The process of closing containers. which consists in providing a container body having aretaining flange at the top thereof,

said body a cover having aflange adapted to overlie said retaining flange and a vertical wall part arrangeable with attaching flange" flange at the top divided sealing ring of channel form overi said cover and body flanges, and forcing inward an intern'iediate part of the ring by pressure upon a lower marginal outwardly extending part of the ring to clamp the cover to the body.

4. The process of closing containers which consists in positioning a cover upon a container body, both thereof being provided with'attaching flanges, arranging over said flanges a split sealing ring ot channel iorm having a laterally Oprojecting edge part, and exerting downwar pressure upon said edge part to move the same inwardly into clamping engagement with the body flange.

5. The process of closing containers which consists in positioning a cover upon a container body, both thereof being provided arranging over said flanges a divideo sealing ring of inverted U shape having an outwardly extending rolled edge, and exerting downward pressure upon said edge to partially unroll the same and move it inwardly into clamping engageinent with said body flange.

6. The process of closing containers which consists in providing a. container body having a laterally projecting retaining part, positioningupon an open end of said body a cover having a flange adapted to be clamped to the body to close the container, arranging over said flange and retaining part a separate divided sealing ring of channel form having an outwardly projectin rolled edge, and removably securing said ring in clamping relation by pressing said edge downwardly thereby partially unrolling the same and causing it to engage beneath said retaining part on the body.

7. The method of closing containers having outwardly curled upper edges, and having applied thereto covers formed with flanges extending upward and over said upper edges, and having applied thereto divided sealing rings which extend down within the cover and over the cover flanges and down at the outer sides of said curled upper edges and which rings are formed with hollow cylindrical curls at their bot tom extremities at the outer sides of said curls of the containers, which consists in wiping the said curls of the rings down- Hit! ward and at the same time forcing the curls of the rings inward under the curls of the containers.

8. The method of closing containers having outwardly curled upper edges, and having applied thereto covers vformed with flanges extending upward and over said upper edges, and having applied thereto divided sealing rings which extend down within the cover and over the cover flanges and down at the outer sides of said curled upper edges and which rings are formed with curls at their bottom extremities at the outer sides of said curls of the containers, which consists in wiping the said curls of the rings downward and partly uncurling them and at the same time forcing the curls of the rings inward under the curls of the containers.

9. The method of closing containers having outwardly curled upper edges, and haw ing applied thereto covers flanges extending upward and over said upper edges, and having applied thereto divided sealing rings which extend down within the cover and over the cover flanges and down at the outer sides-0t said curled upper edges and which rings are formed with hollow cylindrical curls at their 'bottom extremities at the outer sides of said curls of the containers, which consists in wiping the said curls of the rings downward and partly uncurling them and at the same time forcing the curls of the rings inward under the curls of the containers.

10. The combination of a container formed with an outward curl at its top edge, a cover adapted to fit. within the mouth of the container and having a flange which extends up in contact with the interior of the container and has a top part extending outward .eover flange. and

' a depending formed withthe. container and having a the container and over said curl, and .a divided ring having an inner flange extending down within the cover flange and a U-shaped top arranged over the top part of the cover flange an a depending flange at the outer side of the said curl and a curled edge, said curled edge of the ring being adapted to be forced under the curl of the container.

11. The combination of a container formed with an outward curl at its top edge, a cover adapted to fit within the mouth of the container and having a flange which extends up in contact with the interior of the container and has a top part extending outward over said curl, and a divided ring having an inner flange extending down within the a U-shaped top arranged over the top part of the cover flange and flange at the outer side of the a c-nrlededge, said curled edge of the rin being adapted to be partly uncurled ant at the same time forced under the curl of the container.

12. The combination of a container formed said curl and 'with an outward curl at its top edge, a

tit within. the mouth of flange which extends up incontact with the interior of has a top part extending outward over said curl, and a divided ring having an inner flange extending down within the cover flange and a U-shaped top arranged over the top part of the cover flange and a depending flange at the outer side of the said curl and a hollow cylindrical curled edge, sa'id curled edge of the ring being adapted to be partly uneurled and at the same time forced under the curl of the container.

' JOHN M. HoTHERsALL.

cover adapted to 

